


Terrible Things

by disaster4176



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, F/F, Sad Ending, fluffy until it isn't, it's really cute until the last few chapters, trust me guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-06 16:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12821988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disaster4176/pseuds/disaster4176
Summary: The story of Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers falling in love.Based on the song Terrible Things by Mayday Parade.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fic, so constructive criticism appreciated. This is gonna be a sad one, so be forwarned.
> 
> There's some references to past abuse in this fic as well, so be careful.

_"By the time I was your age, I'd give anything_

_To fall in love truly was all I could think"_

 

Lena was tired. Tired of being alone. Tired of being a Luthor. Tired of being disgraced by her last name. Tired of dealing with the press. Tired of dealing with investors. Tired of being a CEO. Most importantly, she was tired of being lonely.

She sighed, pressing her head into her hands. Who would want to befriend a Luthor?

Standing up from her desk, Lena decided to call it a night. She steeled her face into a neutral expression, and left the office. She was not looking forward to the fundraising Gala planned for tomorrow, but it was a part of her role as CEO, so she had no choice.

When Lena got to her too large, too empty apartment, she changed out of her work clothes and removed her makeup. She lay on her bed, struggling to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, Lex's Cheshire grin haunted her vision.

"I wish I didn't have to deal with this alone" Lena whispered into the darkness, "I wish I had _someone."_

In the end, exhaustion won out, and Lena fell into a nightmare-filled sleep.

Lillian, forcing her hand onto the hot stove. Lillian taunting her, saying how she should be more like Lex. Lillian, slapping her as she started to cry. Lillian, locking her in her room for a week. Her subconscious jumped from one scene to the next until she woke up screaming, hot tears trickling down her face.

Through the dim light of her room, Lena looked at the clock: 2:23 AM. Too early to wake up, she had gotten too little sleep to be productive. Breathing slowly, Lena forced her heart rate to steady.

She was no stranger to nightmares, but couldn't help feeling childish for not being able to rid herself of them.

Breathing steadily, Lena allowed the softness of her sheets to lull her into sleep as she closed her eyes. She quickly fell into a light doze. She saw flashes of golden curls and felt a hand in hers. She heard beautiful laughter and saw a dazzling smile.

Lena woke with a start as her alarm blared. As Lena regained consciousness, she tried to capture the feeling of love leftover from her dream. All too quickly it faded, and she was left alone again. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Lena stretched her arms above her head as she sat up.

Yawning, Lena went to go brush her teeth. Looking in the mirror, Lena saw someone almost unrecognizable staring back at her. Dark circles framed her sunken eyes; her skin clung to her bones, almost translucent. Her eyes showed a tiredness more suited for a war veteran than a woman in her twenties. Lena shuddered as she recalled how similar Lex had looked in the depths of his madness. It was very evident that she was not taking care of herself.

"Maybe you deserve this" Her inner voice told her.

Lena shook her head, trying to erase the self deprecating thoughts from her brain. She forced herself to move on. She followed her routine: shower, makeup, clothes, leave. It became a mantra as she made herself presentable.

"Shower, makeup, clothes, leave." Her routine was her lifeline.

Lena had her routine down to a science. The door to her office closed behind her just as the clock struck 5:30. Shifting through a pile of reports from the previous day, Lena once again cursed her solitude. Although it was nice to be alone sometimes, Lena despised that solitude seemed to be her natural state. Skimming through her schedule, Lena realized that, save for the Gala, today would be a relatively easy day; her time was occupied by mostly meetings.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts at 7 AM exactly. Without looking up, Lena greeted Jess.

"I brought breakfast," Jess responded with a smile. Lena responded with a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks, Jess." Somehow Jess always seemed to know when Lena forgot to eat for extended periods of time. Jess exited the room swiftly, after depositing the aforementioned breakfast on Lena's desk.

Lena's stomach growled ferociously as she opened the bag to reveal a breakfast sandwich with kale and avocado: her favorite. Lena devoured it quickly, hunger getting the best of her manners.

Lena went on auto-pilot for much of the day. Nothing of true significance happened, just routine meetings with board members and other important people. The day simultaneously felt like it would never end, and was over in a flash. As her last meeting closed at 4 pm, Lena hung her jacket on her arm as she left her office. Descending in the elevator, Lena felt discomfort envelop her as she contemplated the Gala. She social functions of that nature, but it was her duty as CEO to make an appearance. All she would need to do would be schmooze with investors and grant some quotes to help improve the public perception of L-Corp.

Lena arrived fashionably late to the Gala, and was already counting down the seconds until it was socially acceptable for her to leave. As much as she wanted to remain off to the side, and not interact with anyone, she had to do her duty as CEO and mingle. Making small talk with a guest, Lena downed a glass of champagne from a server's platter. 

Lena smiled to herself as she was approached by a stuttering reporter.

"John Johnson, with the Daily Planet" He said sheepishly. "I was wondering if you'd like to comment on the string of Anti-Alien hate crimes sweeping the nation." Lena formulated a response, and responded instantly.

"I denounce these actions, both personally and as CEO of L-Corp. Any criminals who hope to find a leader in me because of my Luthor name, will find themselves sorely mistaken. Although Lex may have endorsed these actions, I do not. Is that all?" Lena inquired.

"Y-yes," he scrambled away as fast as he could.

One of Lena's board members approached her. "Great turnout," he said, chewing on an appetizer. Lena hummed in agreement. "This is really helping turn public perception of the company around," he added. Lena smiled thinly, wishing he would leave her alone.

Someone waved to him from across the room, and he took his leave, leaving Lena once again alone. She checked her watch, noticing there were only fifteen minutes left until she could leave. She smiled and tried to avoid counting down the seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment! Let me know what you think


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy thank you so much for the kudos and comments on the last chapter! Enjoy!

_"That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams_

_The most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen"_

 

"Uhm.. Ms. Luthor?" A timid voice interrupted Lena's thoughts. Mildly startled, she looked up to see the most beautiful person she had ever laid on. Wavy blonde hair framed a slightly flushed face with eyes so enchanting Lena swore she got lost in them.

"M-Ms. Luthor?" The other woman cleared her throat. Her voice sounded like nothing Lena had heard before. She was totally enamored. 

"Kara Danvers, CatCo magazine." The woman, Kara Danvers, extended her hand. Lena shook it, marveling at how soft it was.

"Well, Ms. Danvers, what can I do for you?" Lena forced herself to look away from the reporter's face. She was a CEO, and she would damn well act like it, no matter how much she just wanted to stare at Kara. The reporter adjusted her glasses, and Lena wanted nothing more than to reach out and put an arm on her shoulder. Something about the blonde was almost magnetic.

"I was wondering," She paused, "If I could um.. get an interview with you for an upcoming piece."

"An interview? Of course." Lena forced herself to smile smoothly. "Does in an hour work?" Lena blurted out before her common sense got the best of her.

"So soon?" Kara laughed nervously. "I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense." Lena waved off her concern. "I'm always willing to help out a budding young reporter. I read your piece on Wayne Industries last month, and found it fascinating, and extremely well written." Lena smiled genuinely.

Kara, blushing profusely, stuttered out a reply.

"I can always do another time, if that doesn't work." Lena hoped desperately that it would. She already wanted to spend as much time with the reporter as humanly possible.

"6 sounds wonderful." Kara responded hurriedly. 

"Perfect. You know where L-Corp is?" Kara nodded. "Go there. I'll tell my assistant to show you in." Kara looked as if she would faint.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Luthor, really."

"Of course." Lena meant it. In that moment she would do anything for the blonde.

"I'll just.." Kara trailed off, gesturing vaguely in the direction opposite Lena. Resisting the urge to beg her to stay, Lena stared at her departing figure. She forced herself to look away from the reporter before she noticed her staring. Lena decided to return to L-Corp and prepare for the interview.

 

Lena heard a knock on her door. Looking up to see Kara's smiling face through the window, she briskly went to let the reporter into her office. As soon as the door was opened, Kara started to ramble.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to this, and setting it up so quickly. I'll be out of your hair as soon as possible. It'll take no more than fifteen minutes, I swear. Really, thank you so much Ms. Luthor." She paused for breath, clearly intending to continue rambling. Lena decided to have mercy and interrupt. As much as it pained her to stop the adorable rambling, she was sure the reporter would thank her.

"It was no trouble, really. Come on in." Lena gestured to the chair opposite her desk. Kara fumbled with a recorder, placing it on the desk.

Lena held up a hand. "Before we start, Ms. Danvers, I just wanted to say that you should call me Lena. Please." This was not how Lena usually handled interviews, but this reporter was an exception, and Lena couldn't help herself.

"OK, then you should call me-" She was cut off by Lena interrupting.

"Kara it is then." Lena smiled, reveling in the way the name fell naturally from her lips.

"So, Lena," Kara began. Lena loved the way Kara said her name. She never wanted to stop hearing it. "Talk about what it's like being a CEO of such a large company at such a young age."

Lena thought for a few seconds. "It's very rewarding. I get to play a part in shaping and improving the world in the way that I want to. I get to see my vision of the world become a reality. How many other people can claim that?" Lena's heart was pounding. Something about the blonde produced an extreme reaction in her.

Kara smiled and asked a followup question. The interview progressed smoothly, dialogue flowing easily between the pair. Before Lena knew it, Kara turned off the tape recorder, more confidently than she had turned it on, extended her hand and said "Thank you so much for your time Lena."

Lena shook Kara's hand, still enchanted by the blonde's features. As Kara turned to leave Lena blurted out, "Wait, do you want to grab lunch sometime? With me?"

Kara froze and Lena panicked. "Uh.. sure?" She didn't sound sure. She turned around, "When did you have in mind?" Lena swore she saw a hint of a blush on Kara's cheeks.

"Whenever?" Lena gestured vaguely. "How does Saturday at noon sound?"

"Perfect." Kara smiled. "I know just the place.. if that's OK with you?" Lena nodded. "It's at 23 Main Street."

"24 Main street. Noon on Saturday?" Lena repeated. Kara nodded in confirmation.

"See you then?" Lena nodded. "See you then Kara."

And so Kara took her leave. No sooner had the door closed then Lena felt her absence. She was completely enamored with the blonde. She felt a ghost of a grin grace her features. Kara was amazing. She was adorable, and Lena wanted nothing more than to be around the blonde all the time. She had always known she was gay, so these feelings didn't shock her, but she hoped Kara felt the same way. She knew the odds were not in her favor however. Despite this, Lena finished her day in good spirits. Around 10:30, when Lena decided to head home, she was already eagerly awaiting her lunch date.

That night, Lena fell into a dreamless sleep, a marked improvement over the nightmares of the previous night.

The next two days passed agonizingly slowly as Lena anticipated her next meeting with the blonde. When Saturday finally arrived, Lena was too distracted to be productive. She simply counted down the time until noon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know the next time I'll be able to update this. my schedule's kinda crazy. It could be sometime next week or it could be the week of Christmas, or it could be somewhere in between. Your guess is as good as mine. 
> 
> Anyway, leave a comment tell me what you think?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just straight up fluff.

_"She said 'boy can I tell you a wonderful thing_

_I can't help but notice you're staring at me'"_

 

Lena paced back and forth as the seconds ticked by. Finally the clock struck noon. Kara had picked a restaurant within three blocks of her house, according to Google, so Lena had decided to walk there. Palms sweaty, Lena grabbed her jacket out of her closet. She barely heard the sound of the door to her apartment closing behind her over the thumping of her heart. Lena forced her breathing to even out. She had already met Kara twice. She wasn't even sure if this was a date. She really needed to get herself under control. Did normal people panic this much?

Lena felt her heartbeat calm as she opened the door to her building, the cold air hitting her abruptly. Reaching into her pocket to remove her gloves, Lena cursed her luck upon finding it empty. Shoving both hands into her pockets and still finding them empty, she resigned herself and shoved both hands into her pockets. As Lena walked, her mind wandered to Kara. She was so pretty, Lena felt her knees grow weak and butterflies appear in her stomach at the mere thought of her.

"Oh God." Lena thought as the restaurant entered her view. She was really going to do this. Checking her watch, Lena saw that she was only seven minutes late.

As she neared the restaurant, Lena saw Kara sitting by the window look out it, clearly looking for her. Lena started walking faster, eager to meet her. A bell jangled as Lena pushed the door of the little pizza place open. Lena noticed Kara's features light up as she saw Lena enter. Waving awkwardly, Kara stood up and pulled Lena into a hug. Lena felt her stomach drop. Her brain short-circuited. The blonde was very warm, contrasting with the frigid outdoors that Lena had just escaped from. Kara stepped back, and Lena did her best not to follow her heat.

"Golly!" Kara exclaimed, "Your hands are really cold." She grabbed one of Lena's hands to prove her point. Lena almost died on the spot. Here she was, on a Saturday afternoon, with the prettiest woman she had ever seen holding her hand.

Lena felt her cheeks burn as she realized she had been staring at Kara longer than was usually deemed socially acceptable. Clearing her throat, Lena forced herself to avert her eyes. She was only briefly successful, and her eyes were drawn back to Kara's face like magnets. Kara smiled, a little awkwardly.

Oh no. Was Lena making Kara uncomfortable? That was the last thing Lena wanted.

"So," Lena began. "What kind of pizza do you like?" The awkward silence disappeared instantly, as Kara's eyes lit up, and she began to ramble. Belatedly, Lena realized Kara was still holding her hand.

"Really any. My favorite is extra cheese. I love eating it with potstickers. It's a match made in heaven!" Kara gestured wildly with her free hand, making no move to extricate her hand from Lena's. "Pizza and potstickers! You've really got to try it sometime." Her stomach growled as if to emphasize her point. Kara smiled apologetically. "Um.." She giggled slightly, "D-do you want to order now?"

Lena grinned. "Sure! A large extra cheese?" She looked for the blonde's approval.

"Better make it extra large," Kara smiled bashfully. "And can I get some bread sticks?"

Lena felt herself smile slightly. "Of course." She regretfully relinquished Kara's hand to order the food. When she sat back down, she was pleased that Kara placed her hand over Lena's on the table. Her stomach swooped as Kara's warm hand made Lena's tingle where it made contact.

"So... what do you do for fun?" Kara adjusted her glasses nervously with her free hand.

"I read. I don't really have much free time, with L-Corp and all." Lena said hesitantly, trying to avoid sounding like a workaholic. "You?"

"I spend a lot of my time with my friends. Playing board games, eating food, having a good time." Kara laughed awkwardly. "What do you like to read?"

"Mostly scientific journals and the like. However, every so often I do love to curl up with a novel." Why was she blushing? There was no logical reason for her to be blushing. She was the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. A kind glance and a good person shouldn't have this effect on her, and yet, here she was, blushing like a fool.

"I'm sorry to intrude on your free time," Kara blurted out. Lena couldn't fully suppress her grin.

"It's no trouble. I'm having a wonderful time." Kara's face split into a grin brighter than the sun. "I am too." And she began rambling again.

"Thank you again for agreeing to the interview. My boss liked it, and he's really difficult to satisfy. So, uh, thanks." The blonde adjusted her glasses again.

"Happy to help. Anytime, Kara, really." And with that, the food was brought to their table. Regretfully, Lena removed her hand from Kara's. She delicately ripped a piece of the pizza and placed it on her plate. Meanwhile, across from her, Kara pulled out three slices at once and placed them on hers. Picking up a plastic fork and knife, Lena cut into her pizza, bemusedly eying Kara as she ate half a slice of pizza in one bite. Lena tried to suppress her snickers.

"Whalookinat," Kara asked, mouth full of pizza. Lena raised an eyebrow, and delighted in the tinge of red coloring Kara's cheek. Kara voraciously devoured her three slices and all the read sticks by the time Lena finished her single slice. Lena wondered how she could eat so much and still look like...that.

She was totally entrapped by Kara, and she only realized she was staring when Kara said her name.

"Lena." Kara burned red, blushing. "Lena. You're staring at me."

In that instant, Lena wanted nothing more than to descend through the floor. Had she messed up the possibility of a relationship with a reporter? Had she been too forward?

Thankfully, Kara interrupted her spiral of panic. "And I want to say that I'm so glad. This whole time I've been trying to figure out if this is a date or not. And I think it is unless I misread some queues and I just messed this up." Now it was Lena's turn to save Kara from the spiral of anxiety. She grinned.

"I've been trying to figure out the same thing. So..." Lena trailed off, willing Kara to finish the sentence.

Kara beamed, making the star look like a nightlight in comparison. "I'm on a date with Lena Luthor."

Lena blushed. "I'm on a date with Kara Danvers." She put her hand over Kara's, which was resting on the table. Her stomach was doing flips in the best possible way. Lena felt warmth envelop her from head to toe at the way Kara looked at her. She had never had something like this before. All of her past relationships had been perfunctory at best and bitter at worst. She could already tell that Kara would be different. Lena's train of thought disappeared as Kara ran her thumb over Lena's knuckles and her brain melted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Let me know :)  
> The next chapter is going to be just as fluffy, and I may have it up tomorrow. No promises though.


End file.
